NFL Week 6 Preview
Week 6 is here and there a couple of great games on the schedule.
Looking back to 2008 Week 6, the Dallas Cowboys lost starting quarterback Tony Romo to a fractured left pinkie, forcing Romo to miss the next four games and quite possibly ruining the Cowboys playoff hopes, as they dropped 3 of 4 without their starter. Could we see another high profile injury this year?
My pick for game of the week is a tie between the New York Giants at the New Orleans Saints and the Monday night game of the Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers. San Diego took the AFC West title with the same 8-8 record as the Broncos.
This match up may decide who wins the division this season. Teams with byes are the Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, and the San Francisco 49ers.
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Sunday, October 18 1:00 pm – Houston Texans @ Cincinnati Bengals
Line: Cincinnati –4.5 (Total 45)
The only thing that is worse than Cincinnati’s passing attack is their passing defense. The Texans (2-3) defense will have a difficult time containing the leagues leading rusher, Cedric Benson, so this should prove to be a high scoring affair. After beating Cleveland in Week 4, the Bengals (4-1) are coming off their second consecutive win, 17-14 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Cincy quarterback Carson Palmer has been successful against teams that stack the run. Houston has lost two of their last there, both on not being able to convert inside the red-zone. The Bengals are better at closing out games and will get the win at home.
Sunday, October 18 1:00 pm – Detroit Lions @ Green Bay Packers
Line: Green Bay –13.5 (Total 48)
Green Bay (2-2) has yet to prove they are a formable team by not being able to blow out anyone other then St. Louis. The Lions (1-4) have been on the losing edge of some very close contests. The Packers passing game could wreak havoc on a weak Lions secondary, but Detroit should be able to move the ball against a weak Green Bay defense as well. Detroit will need to get pressure on Aaron Rodgers with a decent pass rush against a questionable Packers o-line. This game will be decided late in the fourth quarter with Green Bay edging this one out a home.
Sunday, October 18 1:00 pm – St. Louis Rams @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Line: Jacksonville -10 (Total 41)
The St. Louis Rams (0-5) are who are arguably the worst team in the league, have gotten blown out in three straight games and now travel to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars (2-3), who were shutout 41-0 by the Seahawks in Week 5. The Jags beat the Titans by 20 at home and should be able to do the same to a much worse Rams team. Jacksonville will improve their record to 3-3 winning this one at home.
Sunday, October 18 1:00 pm – Baltimore Ravens @ Minnesota Vikings
Line: Minnesota -3 (Total 43)
The Ravens (3-2) may have the best chance yet of containing Vikings running back Adrian Peterson. The question is, can Baltimore’s poor secondary stop Minnesota’s passing game? Or will Favre exploit the Ravens weakness by passing for large amounts of yardage and multiple touchdowns? The Ravens should be able to pick up ample yardage as Minnesota’s (5-0) defense is not as good as one might think. They are 11th against the run and 17th against the pass. The last time these two teams met was on Dec. 25, 2005, with the Ravens winning 30-23 at home. The Vikings will triumph in this one, with multiple touchdown receptions.
Sunday, October 18 1:00 pm – New York Giants @ New Orleans Saints
Line: New Orleans –3 (Total 47)
The Saints (4-0) have proven themselves to be the best team in the league this season by having one of the most potent offenses with a defense that is ranked 6th overall. The Giants (5-0) are coming off a bombing of the Oakland Raiders 44-7, but have narrowly escaped losses at Dallas, Kansas City and Washington. No they will face a very good team on the road. New Orleans is coming off a bye a have posted blowouts against the Eagles and Bills on the road and the Jets at home. The Saints defense is good against both the pass and the rush and the offense has been able to mix it up with both passing and rushing attacks. Look for Drew Brees to have a breakout day as the Saints improve to 5-0.
October 18 1:00 pm – Cleveland Browns @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Line: Pittsburgh –14 (Total 38)
The Browns (1-4) are coming off their first win over the Bills, 6-3. Cleveland’s passing defense is ranked 11th in the league and could be a factor in keeping this game close, as the Steelers do nothing but pass. However, with the combination of a Browns defense that is ranked 32nd against the run and probably one of the most inept offenses in the NFL, I can’t see them scoring more than 10 points against a solid Steelers defense. Pittsburgh (3-2) will be able to move the ball well and if they utilize the run should be able to have extended periods of possession, controlling the clock. Steelers win by 14 to make it three straight victories.
Sunday, October 18 1:00 pm –Carolina Panthers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Line: Carolina –3 (Total 40)
The Panthers (1-3) got its first victory of the season by rallying past Washington, 20-17 in their last outing and now may have a chance to increase their wining streak to two when they travel to Tampa Bay this week. The Buccaneers (0-5) has yet to prove the ability to beat a single team and was unable to keep up with Philadelphia Eagles in a 33-14 blow out in Week 5. Carolina won’t have to do much to defend against Tampa Bay and will win this one on the road.
Sunday, October 18 1:00 pm – Kansas City Chiefs @ Washington Redskins
Line: Washington –6.5 (Total 37)
The Redskins (2-3) have yet to play a single team that has won more than one game, with the exception of the Giants in Week 1. Kansas City (0-5) was as close to a win as they had been all season in Week 5, falling to Dallas 26-20 in overtime. Now the two will square off in Week 6. Both teams are averaging less than 17 points a game, which puts them squarely in the lower third of the league, and are 24th and 25th in rushing yards per game. Washington should be able to move the ball through the air as Kansas City ranks 30th in pass defense. The Redskins win this low scoring affair at home.
Sunday, October 18 4:05 pm – Philadelphia Eagles @ Oakland Raiders
Line: Philadelphia – 14 (Total 41)
The Raiders (1-4) are coming of a 44-7 beating at the hands of the Giants and is off to a dreadful start, as they cannot find a way to get anything going on either side of the ball. The Raiders have only scored four touchdowns in five games. They are ranked last in the league in both total yards (191) and passing yards (108) per game. In addition, they are second to last in points scored and are averaging only nine points per game. The Eagles (3-1) finished up Week 5 with a 33-14 win over Tampa Bay and despite giving up 21 points per game, should not be challenged by the Raiders lack of offensive production, wining this one in the road.
Sunday, October 18 4:05 pm – Arizona Cardinals @ Seattle Seahawks
Line: Seattle –3 (Total 47)
The Seahawks (2-3) are a better team with Matt Hasselbeck at the helm. Seattle is 0-3 without him, and 2-0 with him. He played a big part in last week’s 41-0 mauling of Jacksonville. The Seahawks defense has allowed just eight points per game and has 10 sacks in three home games. The Cardinals (2-2) have struggled on offense this season and will have their work cut out for them when they visit Qwest Field on Sunday. The Seahawks will most likely attack the Cardinals with their ability to pass the ball against an Arizona defense that ranks last against the pass. Seahawks pull this one off at home.
Sunday, October 18 4:15 pm – Tennessee Titans @ New England Patriots
Line: New England – 9 (Total 43)
The Titans (0-5) are among the four winless teams in the NFL, and have been outscored 139-84 this season. Tennessee is 25th in total defense and is fourth-to-last in points allowed. They couldn’t stop the pass to save their lives (31st in the NFL). The Patriots (3-2) can pass the pigskin, which will probably lead to an all-out air assault against the Titans. The Pats are undefeated at home beating the likes of Baltimore and Atlanta. Tom Brady’s QB rating has dipped to 85.9 this year, but he still posses a threat with 1,341 yards through the air. New England rolls over Tennessee, as Titans fans wonder, “Where is Vince Young”?
Sunday, October 18 4:15 pm – Buffalo Bills @ New York Jets
Line: New York -9.5 (Total 38)
The Jets (3-2) are coming of a 31-27 loss to Miami on Monday night, and will look to stay tied for first with the New England Patriots in the AFC East when they take on division rival the Buffalo Bills. After starting 3-0, the Jets have lost two straight. Buffalo (1-4) has only managed eight touchdowns in five games this season with an average of 15.4 points per game, and are ranked 25th in the league with just 290 total yards per game. They are coming off a tough loss losing 6-3 to the Browns on Sunday. Buffalo’s pass defense ranks 6th, so the Jets will need to get their ground game going against the Bills who have shown that they have problems with stopping the run. The Jets defense is only giving up 17 points a game and is limiting their opponents to just 110 yards rushing per game. The Jets bounce back and get a victory at home.
Sunday, October 18 8:20 pm – Chicago Bears @ Atlanta Falcons
Line: Atlanta –3 (Total 46)
The Bears (3-1) are coming off a bye one week after destroying the Detroit Lions 48-24 in Week 4.Chicago has also beaten Pittsburgh and Green Bay and would probably be atop the division if not for an undefeated Minnesota Vikings. The Falcons (3-1) spanked the 49ers in their last outing 45-10, with their only loss coming by way of the New England Patriots in the previous week. Atlanta QB Matt Ryan is 2-for-2 this year at home and he looked good last week against San Francisco on the road. Defense will be key as both teams have proved they can put big numbers on the board. This one will be close and high scoring, with the Falcons coming away with the win at home.
Monday, October 19 8:30 pm – Denver Broncos @ San Diego Chargers
Line: San Diego –3.5 (Total 44)
The Denver Broncos (5-0) are one of five undefeated teams and are coming off a win against the Patriots in Week 5. The Broncos now have their sights set on beating division rival the San Diego Chargers in front of a national television audience on Monday night. The Chargers (2-2) managed to almost lose to the Raiders in Week 1, then lost to the Steelers and have generally played awful with the exception of their passing game. But that may be fruitless as Denver’s defense has been tremendous, and is ranked 5th against the pass. The Broncos offensive line has been solid and QB Kyle Orton has been one of the most accurate passers in the league with only one interception thus far. Denver is also ranked 4th in the league in total rushing yards. San Diego’s Philip Rivers is putting together another great season, throwing for 1,245 yards, and averaging eight yards per attempt. San Diego will need to get on the board early and find a way to put some pressure on Orton. Denver wins a big one at Mile High.
Matt Martz is a sports writer for the Bakersfield Californian located in Central California. Blessed is the gambler who expects nothing, for ye shall not be disappointed.
